The BIG presentation problem

The BIG problem is that with all the flashy gadgets and eye popping effects the content still has to be good and the point or points of the presentation have to be clearly understood. New tools and technologies won’t help bad content or bad presenters.

In a presentation meeting, many people forget or don’t know that the presenter is more important than the technology which is showing the content. The presenter is the narrator, the story teller, of the content being presented. Presentations lose their effectiveness and become boring when the presenter is boring and hides behind the presentation tool.

To exacerbate the boring presentation, simply throw in some badly structured and formatted content. Yes, the eye chart slides with way too much content for any normal person in a presentation to comprehend. The poorly formed use of effects to try and spruce up bad or perceived boring content.

Rest assured that there are good ways to present a fantastic presentation where the audience walks away with the full knowledge of the content and the feeling of time well spent. It just starts with awareness and then a little practice but soon you will be able to pull off the best presentation ever!

Start with the content
Part of the problem with bad presentation content starts with the thought by the presenter that the presentation is a document. The presentation is not a document it is a presentation. A document contents lots of detail to fully explain the concepts and points which are being communicated. A presentation provides backup material to the presenter so that the presenter can narrate and fully explain the concepts and points of the presentation to be communicated verbally.

Step 1. Fix the content with a document

All too often the presenter feels the presentation is a document on its own, which is a mistake that should be corrected. Start the creation of your presentation by creating a full document which could stand on its own and be understood by the reader. This is the document which you should leave behind with your audience rather than your presentation slide deck. This document can be used by your audience later to fill in any main points and to carry your message further.

Step 2. Create the presentation from the document

Once your document is fully created use it to create your presentation. Pull out only the titles from the sections in your document. The underlying text is what your presentation notes will be built from. For example if I was to present this article as a presentation I would put only “Step 1. Fix the content with a document” on a slide and used the text under the heading to create my narrative. Be aware, you can’t simply use all the text as-is to create the negative as it is too structured and not conversational enough to be presented smoothly, but you will used it to craft your narrative.

Step 3. Craft your narrative from the body text

Read the body text of your document out loud to yourself and strike out the text which doesn’t feel natural to your style of speaking. You have to use your own voice to narrate the story and to add emphasis to your points. Simply regurgitating the written text from your document while presenting will create a robotic and boring sounding narrative. Use your own voice and character so that you connect with the content in a natural way and this gives your audience the opportunity to connect with you which in turn connects them with the content.

Step 4. Replace some of the text with images

Where appropriate you should try to replace some or all of the text in your presentation with strong images. The use of images help the audience to visualize the content being presented to them through the narrative and to help create an emotional level connection. Creating an emotional connection to your content through images helps the audience create a stronger memory of your content and a better chance that your points will be remembered.


For example, if you are presenting a slide about the growth of profits, rather than presenting an image of the same old bar chart, use an image of a mountain range with the numbers place in the peaks and valleys. Or better yet, only include the one number on the image which is the really important number and leave the details for the document. Speak only to the important number and drive home your point.

When using images also try to use photos rather than clip art or other graphics. Photos are real and carry their own weight on the slide which has a better chance to make the emotional connection you are looking for. When you do use a photo image, always include the source in your presentation, either in some simple gray text at the bottom of the picture or on a picture source slide. If your presentation is public you will also want to make sure you are able to use any copyrighted material.

Step 5. Measure the content length

Most of the time you will only have a defined allotment of time for your presentation. Most likely your original document will be too long for your allotted time and you will have to determine what content to focus on and what to leave out. You will have to go through your content and determine what must be in your presentation and roughly determine how many slides that may break out into.

Once you have a slide count estimate you can also estimate the time based on the 2 minute rule. The 2 minute rule is that you should estimate 2 minutes of talking per slide. Simply add up your estimated slides and multiply by 2 minutes to determine if your content will fit within the time slot you have been allotted. The 2 minute rule will also help you with your timing and pacing of the narrative for your presentation by keeping you close to the 2 minutes per slide.

Next work on your presentation style
Presenting in front of an audience can be a BIG scary proposition for many people. It may be good to know even the most seasoned speakers get butterflies just before a presentation. As you will see this nervous energy can be your key to your best presentation ever!

Also, once you nail down your overall presentation style you will build up your confidence to carry you through the toughest of audiences.

Work with your nervous energy

Nervous energy is a great source to tap into to bring enthusiasm and energy to the narrative of your presentation. The key is to control this energy so that it doesn’t overwhelm and consume you which would distract you from delivering your narrative. There are many ways to control this energy to your advantage.

One technique starts well before your presentation and it starts with practice. You have to practice your presentation over and over so that you smooth out the rough spots and more importantly so that you know your narrative inside and out. Practice doesn’t mean just reading your narrative to yourself you have to speak audibly so that you can hear your speech. Also, through your practice you can work on pacing so that you finish your presentation in time.

Another technique is done just before you are about to speak. You should find some time for yourself in a quiet place out of view from others. Next you will want to get BIG and powerful which has been proven to help your confidence. This means actually physically being as big as you can be with your arms stretched high over your head and out wide and your legs spread as well. You want to feel powerful! The magic number for getting BIG is 2 minutes. This technique may feel a little strange at first but it really does work wonders.

It is good to control the energy level you have before a speech by do something which takes some of the energy down a notch or two. Remember this energy is your friend so you don’t want to eliminate it you want to control it. So, you can try a little jumping on the spot or running on the spot. Some people like to let out a scream but this may not be possible based on where you are.

One last technique you can do to take the edge off is to get up on stage or go to the front of the room before the audience is fully ready for your presentation. This enables you to be in front of the audience before speaking which can make you a little more comfortable at the front.

Pull together a few of these energy management techniques while harnessing the excitement and you will find that you will pull off the best presentation you have ever done!

Connect with your audience

As you are the narrator it is critical that you connect with your audience. A strong connection with your audience will form a strong connection to your content. When these strong connections are made the point of your presentation is communicated much more clearly and your audience will understand your points better.

One classic mistake to avoid is talking to your presentation slide rather than to your audience. When talking you should avoid physically turning away from your audience to face the presentation screen. If you do turn away, while you are talking, you risk breaking the connection you may have with the audience. Instead of turning way, face your audience when you are talking and try to make direct eye contact with members of the audience. Don’t stare at one person, instead work the room with glances through the narrative of your presentation.

Another mistake to avoid is to not read your notes. Hopefully you are able to practise enough that you don’t need notes for your presentation, however, if you do feel more comfortable with them remember not to simply read them. Reading your notes to the audience is like reading to your presentation slides and can again risk breaking the connection with the audience. If you are creating notes prepare your notes using BIG fonts so that an easy glance will enable you to pick up the point you are at. Also, it is sometimes advantageous to only put the main points in your presentation so that you don’t feel tied to the words and you can delivery your narrative more smoothly in your own voice. Some like to use index cards with one main point on each card, but be careful that you don’t fidget with them and distract your audience.

Finish BIG and leave your mark

The presenter has just delivered a fantastic engaging presentation with a great backup slide presentation with emotion connecting images and now she is ready for the BIG finish. It is at this point many presenters miss a huge opportunity to leave a memorable mark on the audience. Many presenters plow through the presentation content and at the end of the presentation it just stops abruptly when the content is done. The presenter is happy all the content is delivered and takes a breath but the audience is left disconnected and hanging.

Prepare your closing statement carefully to wrap up your presentation and leave your audience with something to take away. Out of all parts of your presentation, practice you closing the most so that you know it cold and can deliver it smoothly. It is your final point you are leaving with the audience. Good closings can include a brief highlight of some points from your narrative followed by some call to action.

An example of a closing statement or remark based on this article (if I was speaking): “You have heard how to fix your content and learned how to rework your presentation style, now it is your turn to use this knowledge in your next presentation.”

Is PowerPoint Dead?
No PowerPoint is not dead, but hopefully the presentation content and presenter’s style will change to make presentations much more informative, entertaining and effective!

PowerPoint is only a tool which is to be used to create great presentations. I would actually argue that PowerPoint or similar types of slide presentation tools are better than some of the newer tools on the market which zoom in and out of content. Some of the new tools can distract and disconnect the audience from the narration and should be used with caution. The thing to remember is that the presentation tool is simply a tool and a good presentation comes from a good presenter not the tool.

Tools for presenting
Talking about tools, I have put together the following list of tools and other things which can be used to enhance your next presentation but please remember it is YOU that makes a good presentation not the tool. Everyone can become a fantastic presenter with the right content and style.

www.toastmasters.org - toastmasters international has been around for a very long time and clubs can be found around the world. As an accomplished toastmaster I would strongly recommend this organization even if they do seem a little cult like at times!

Renolds, Garr. Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery. California: New Riders, 2008, print. – This book provides good information on modern presentation content with good insight on the use of images. There is also a website with content: www.presentationzen.com

www.freeimages.com - a good source of images with copyright usages listed with many providing free usage rights.

prezi.com - one of the newer presentation tools on the market. Be careful using this in a traditional presentation setting as the audience may be a little distracted by the movement of the images and become disconnected from the narration.

www.emaze.com - another new presentation tool on the market which is focused on visuals and putting content online for remote viewing.

Ted talk - mentioned above about gaining confidence through BIG powerful positions.

Make scrambled eggs in 15 seconds using a cappuccino machine.

Steps:

1) Crack a few eggs in a cup, place the cup in the steam wand of the machine, and shake the cup around until you see fluffy eggs.

2) That's it.

If you work at a place where there is a machine with a steam wand, this is a fantastic way of getting a fresh healthy breakfast instantly

how to get motivated on rainy days

Motivation and discipline come from within, not from the outside. Nothing  in a book can give you motivation or discipline.

If you value your goals, you believe that you are worthy of happiness, you believe that you are capable of putting your best effort forth, and you know that you are not responsible for things beyond your control, then you will be motivated.

If you do not believe these things, you will not be motivated.

You are unmotivated on rainy days because you do not believe one of the above things.

How to get rid of Ants from your home

We recently had a giant infestation of ants at our house (like, everywhere on the counters) and no matter how many traps and sprays we used they just kept coming back. Heck, we even tried spraying the colony at one point with no results. I decided to try and check online for some solutions and managed to find something that really worked. In a single night about 90% of the ants just disappeared. In a week I haven't found a single ant. This also has the addition of being 100% humane as well for anyone that is worried about that.

Ants don't really like invading homes. It tends to be difficult, dangerous, and might only have a limited amount of food after getting discovered. The reasons ants do this is for two reasons: 1. Quick and most likely very nutritious food and 2. a very safe place from rain/predators. This method basically gives both so the ants would want nothing with your house. So, enough text, how to do it.

1. Get to the store and grab a container of sugar (a can would work best, but a bag is fine) and set of preferably biodegradable bowls.
2. Put 1 part hot water from the tap and 1 part sugar in a bowl to make a simple syrup. I found that about 100mL or 3 fl oz. works best. Edit: Make sure you stir this very well, it should have the consistency between orange juice and pancake syrup when you're done.
3. Find your colony outside if you can and put the bowl about 2-3m or 5-10 ft away.
4. Check to see if the bowl is surrounded by ants the next day. If it is, get a new bowl or move the old one another 10 ft away. If not, try pouring some more syrup around the bowl to try and let the ants get the scent.
5. After about a week, the colony should have moved far from your house and (hopefully) away from anyone else's. If you want to stop refreshing the bowl, just fill the can (if you got one) with a few rocks and place it sideways on the ground. The ants should invade it and finally leave you alone for the rest of the season.
6. Finally, relax. Realize you just peacefully moved an entire colony of ants with a minimal amount of work.

Have your kids record what you do

Most if not all kids these days have smart phones, it would be helpful for them to record a video of you showing them how to change their car tire, or use a pair of jumper cables, to help them out when they're in a tough spot.

Sure they could look on you tube but they may not have service, and a video of you doing it will show them exactly how to do it on their exact car etc. Some batteries are in the trunk, which may confuse some kids.

This could apply to any number of other situations but I felt those two examples illustrate the point the best.

Overcoming Shyness: An Easy Solution For You

Overcoming shyness has never really been an area that was easy to handle. You ever wanted the courage to get up and talk to that cute girl standing alone at the mall? You ever just wanted to be the life of the party and not appear to be a mute who can’t communicate?

I’ve had plenty of moments where shyness had overruled me and I still come across some moments where shyness takes over. But one of the main techniques I’ve learned to deal with it is to simply acknowledge it.

Of course that isn’t all I have to say. Don’t attack me just yet. Whether you’re the CEO of Microsoft, Leonardo DiCaprio, or me, everyone deals with shyness to some degree because it’s a natural emotion such as fear and anger. What only makes the clear difference is how each of us approach that irritating shy mouse in our heads.

Without properly managing your shy mouse, it manipulates your thoughts and then your feelings towards another person or situation. You get scared that you’ll be rejected and be made fun of once you make yourself vulnerable in front of them.

This fear of embarrassment is perhaps the main reason people hold themselves back from many opportunities. It’s embarrassment that cause no one to raise their hand whenever the teacher ask if anyone have any questions but no one doesn’t want to appear to be stupid.

I used to be afraid of saying the wrong thing to people constantly. It was like my head was planning for war before I even began a conversation. But that was when I realized life is too irritating trying to please everyone and being the person they want me to be. And that’s where shyness hurts us the most. We’re worried that our true selves aren’t good enough for someone and that they’ll reject us.

But ask yourself this question. When you want to speak to someone you’re generally interested in, are your intentions set in the wrong place? Do you want to hurt them physically or emotionally? If no, then there’s no reason to be afraid to tell them what’s on your mind.  You’re not perfect and you can’t expect people to think of you that way either.

If you see someone eating something that you have no idea of, don’t be afraid to approach and ask them about it. Sure, that person might be momentarily dazed that a random stranger approached them to ask about their sandwich, but it’ll only remain awkward if you make it that way with stutters and uncertainties.

When you’re no longer in the state of trying to figure out what mask to put on in front of someone, it makes conversations and your approaches much easier. You’re relying on what’s in your head and your own curiosities rather than your assumptions of what someone might think of you.

And let’s say that person doesn’t like you, or your personality? Is that really the type of person you want in your life? Someone who’ll smile at your face but talk trash about you behind your back. The best part of revealing who you really are to someone is knowing they’re accepting you for YOU. 

Methods to overcome your shyness also rely on the situation you’re handling. Some people may find it easy to interact with a group of random strangers at a party but get petrified when alone with a pretty girl. Some people might find it easier speaking to a girl alone but dumb founded when other people show up.

In either case, the best method that works for me is to always incorporate a fun conversation without any future intentions. Don’t think how this conversation will determine if she’ll be your girlfriend or future wife. Think about what she enjoys doing on her days off and if she actually has a personality you can play with.

Don’t think on what you can gain from a conversation or interaction with someone. Think of ways you can make their life easier whether it’s putting a smile on their face or giving them some useful life advice. Putting a smile on another person’s face is a powerful emotional trigger for both party members. When you think in terms of giving, it shifts your selfish thoughts to more friendly ones.

Remember, shyness is a normal response to encounter and many people feel a level of it sooner or later in their lives. It particularly happens whenever you’re confronted with another circumstance you’re not comfortable with.

For example, one of the biggest ways shyness affect people is when it comes to approaching random strangers. They’re afraid of revealing their true emotions and being criticized for doing something silly and forever being labeled as that person. The last thing you want to do is say the wrong thing to someone who doesn’t know your name and forever be known as “That Guy.”

Nevertheless, shyness can be useful from a mental perspective in light of the fact that it permits you to alter and evaluate another circumstance gradually. Its genuine advantage is that it permits you to watch a circumstance without being included in it.

Numerous clinicians studies reveal that extremely shy people normally liked to share their issues and converse with those with similar characteristics. It gives both members another person to relate to and possibly push onto the confident boat together. It’ll be like having a workout partner who supports you at the gym.

One of the best tips for overcoming shyness is to think of ways you can positively impact another person’s life. Put aside your own ego and humble yourself to another person. That way, it subconsciously remove that shy mouse trying to manipulate your thoughts into believing you have to behave a certain way.

In reality, you don’t even have to speak that much in a conversation. People love speaking about themselves because it triggers an emotional sense that’s almost as powerful as drugs. All you have to do is shut up and keep asking them questions about their lives. 

Recognize what triggers your shyness and consciously question why it makes you afraid. If you’re scared of speaking to a group of people because they might think you’re dumb, remind yourself that it’s often not what you say that matters but how you make them feel.

If you say something silly, make a joke out of it and humble yourself in front of everyone. Show that you’re not insecure about who you are and it’ll make everyone around you comfortable. 

Remember, if you want to overcome your shyness, don’t take yourself too seriously. Humble yourself and aim to make the person you’re speaking to the center of your world. Help them with their life by simply putting a smile on their face.

It’s easy to give yourself an excuse when you see someone, but for at least one time a day, talk to one person you don’t know and you’ll notice a spark in your confidence by the end of the week.

How to set reminders in your brain

 you need to visualize the stuff you want to remember in the location where you want to remember the stuff.

This solves a problem I sometimes have where I really want to remember something, but it is not practical to write it down or set a reminder on my phone.

This could for example be in the shower when I realize I've run out of shampoo and need to buy more. By the time I'm dry and dressed I will have forgotten. So I need a way of remembering the shampoo.

The way I do this is to pick a location where I want to be reminded of the item and then imagine the item in the location for a few seconds. Afterwards I don't need to do anything more until I get to the location where I will immediately think of the item I want to remember.

The important part here is how to go about imprinting the memory to make it stick. You have to pick a good location. For shopping, for example, I use an escalator in my local supermarket. For things I need to remember when I get home I use my front hall. next comes the item. For shampoo it's obvious, but for more complicated problems you need to find a single item to represent the problem. With all that done, you now have to imagine yourself in the location as vividly as you possibly can while including the item in the location. For my shampoo that's a giant shampoo bottle floating above the escalator at the supermarket. Now look around in your imagined location, think of the little things you are going to notice when you get there, while also thinking about how the your item would look really obvious if it were really there.

Spend 20 to 30 seconds on this in the beginning, later you can vary the timing. Afterwards you can go back to thinking whatever you want.

When you get to the location and notice the things that you always notice I guarantee you that you will also think of your item.

This kind of trick is well known to memory artists, but I think it is very easy, quick, and in my experience very reliable. I usually use it for reminder times from a few hours to 1 or 2 days, but I think it can also work over longer time frames with a more solid imprinting. I find that I actually try not to imprint too hard because I don't want to think of shampoo every singe time that I go to the supermarket, just once.